This post is about how Hong Kong has commemorated the 12th anniversary of its return to PRC rule. I promise you this is going to be a “fair and balanced” blog post. I’ll let the images and eye witness reports speak for themselves.

This is a typical report from the western media, with “biased” and “trivial” details of what had happened on the street.

AFP: Beijing has said that universal suffrage would not come before 2017 at the earliest

The local newspaper Hong Kong Standard won the price for the most politically correct report. It contained some controversies about the actual number of people taken part in the anti-government protest. It also had a lengthy explanation of why the 1 July protest was not a pro-democracy campaign. As the title of the report had suggested, it was all about “letting off” a bit of “steam”. The most important piece of information in this report, however, is the explanation about the lower than expected turnout number at Victoria Park. The Hong Kong Standard wrote and I quote:

Chan said she had been stuck in the park for more than an hour after police refused to open more exits to disperse protesters. This led to scuffles although there were no arrests.

“The fact so many turned up despite the heat shows the public is very dissatisfied with various policies,” Chan said.

“The government should listen to the public and give us a clear roadmap and practical measures for universal suffrage when the consultation for constitutional reform begins in the fourth quarter of 2009.”

Standing in the sun an extra hour or two because Sec of Security Ambrose Lee decided to set up an obstructive rather than constructive crowd control plan means that I watched too many folks be helped to the First Aid tents. It was the worst/most overly-aggressive crowd control I’ve seen on the various walks I’ve been on, both getting in to and out of Victoria Park.

The crowds on the march were angrier as they felt the force of the government set out to obstruct them rather than listening to them. I don’t think the police won many admirers in their salary battle yesterday, even if they were only following a plan drawn up at Government House.

And of course the most “politically incorrect” eyewitness report goes to chinaworker.info. The report also contained a large number of “offensive” images. This report made two “ridiculous” claims:

1. More than 70,000 demand ‘one person one vote’ in biggest protest since Tsang took over.

2. Greater numbers of workers and youth had participated than previous years.

Once again, the images speak for themselves. I suggest you go there and have a look at them yourself.